On World Autism Day, the State highlights the importance of recognition and treatment

Photo: Marco Favero / SECOM

Value capabilities and respect limits! With this motto, this year’s campaign, on World Autism Day, April 2, seeks to highlight the importance of recognizing and respecting the abilities and particularities of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In Santa Catarina, through the assistance services offered by the State Government, a care network was formed that welcomes patients from Primary Health Care (PHC) to follow-up at Rehabilitation Centers. But the idea is to expand even further and create the Santa Catarina Policy for people with ASD, integrating the State Department of Education (SED) and the Santa Catarina Foundation for Special Education (FCEE).

“Our focus with the new Comprehensive Health Care Policy for People with Disabilities is early diagnosis, with an assessment focused on the individual’s functionality, Biopsychosocial Assessment of the disability, and the earliest possible referral to rehabilitation”, explains the manager of Qualifications and Care Networks at SES, Jaqueline Reginatto.

In the state, the user’s gateway to health services is through Primary Care, generally through referral from the regular education network or Social Assistance service locations.

One of the reception services is the Santa Catarina Rehabilitation Center (CCR), in Florianópolis. Its own SES unit, the CCR has several service centers, including Intellectual Rehabilitation and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The location offers an interprofessional team of 16 people made up of a doctor, speech therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, nutritionist and a Social Service professional.

One of the little ones served there is Natan, 5 years old, son of salesman Amauri Guize. Almost two months ago, the parents were referred to a health center after noticing a certain difficulty in their child’s development within the daycare center. From there, they went to the specialized unit in search of answers to various questions and support in times of uncertainty.

“I wouldn’t be able to provide a service like that today. I don’t even know how much a structure like this would cost to serve my son. And here we are happy because this way we see that the place is prepared to welcome them. People understand, I see that they really care about him. And that, as a father, is what we expect,” said Amauri, who also reported improvements in the boy’s socialization and speech development. Overall, it is estimated that in a private network this entire range of services offered to families in Santa Catarina costs around R$8,000 per month.

CCR’s occupational therapist, Camille Macedo Nunes Weiser, and her team are dedicated to developing the sensory processing part. It is through this path that we seek to solve problems such as food selectivity and agitation. “We work to clarify and develop strategies so that there is modulation, regulation of this child, so that the brain can absorb the stimuli, process it and be able to give an adaptive response. In other words, a regulated child is able to have more openness so they can try new food, allow themselves to cut their nails, or have a more regulated sleep,” she says.

Speech therapist Melissa Watzko Eskelsen, coordinator of Intellectual Rehabilitation and Autism Spectrum Disorder, points out that the gains, even in the short term, are enormous and that monitoring also includes those responsible for the child. “We work with a very complete team and today we observe that patients experience a 30% real gain in four months. It’s a very big perspective for changing behavior. We work a lot with the family, who often come to the clinic to receive guidance on how to manage inappropriate behavior”, she concludes.

Rehab center

In addition to Santa Catarina having single-modal services in 141 services contracted with municipal management, receiving resources from the State and the Federal Government, the State is the one that has the most services in this area. Five Specialized Rehabilitation Centers, CER II, were enabled, which serve Physical and Intellectual disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder. Are they:

• Florianópolis
  Specialized Center for Rehabilitation – CER II – Physical and Intellectual: Greater Florianópolis Macroregion – Santa Catarina Rehabilitation Center (CCR).
• Criciúma
  Specialized Center for Rehabilitation – CER II – Physical and Intellectual: Carboniferous and Far South Health Regions – UNESC – University of the Far South of Santa Catarina.
• Itajai
  Specialized Center for Rehabilitation – CER II – Physical and Intellectual: Macroregion of Foz do Itajaí – UNIVALI – University of Vale do Itajaí.
• Lages
  Specialized Rehabilitation Center – CER II – Physical and Intellectual: Serra Catarinense Macroregion – UNIPLAC.
• Blumenau
  Specialized Rehabilitation Center – CER II – Physical and Intellectual: Health Region of Médio Vale do Itajaí – FURB.

More information for the press:
Karla Lobato
Communication consultancy
State Department of Health
(48) 99134-4078
[email protected]
www.saude.sc.gov.br